X-Pac opens today’s show by speaking about NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 from this past Saturday. He points out that the event got off to a red hot start with the tag team match between Moustache Mountain and The Undisputed Era. He thought this was the best match on the show, and he gives a whole bunch of credit to those four men.
EC3 and Velveteen Dream had the tough task of following the opening tag match, and some fans might consider this to be worst in a line of great matches on this show. X-Pac thinks someone like EC3 is very valuable on the main roster and he thinks WWE needs to call him up asap. Sometimes a specific performer’s skill-set is simply more applicable on the main roster than in NXT.
X-Pac enjoyed the North American Championship match between Adam Cole and Ricochet. He notes that Cole is a great looking guy who knows how to tell stories. His in-ring psychology is great, even though he might be known more for his athletic style. Speaking about athletic styles, X-Pac is a fan of Ricochet but notes that there’s a few things in Ricochet’s ring work that could be adjusted. If Ricochet makes those adjustments, he’ll be in a league of his own in X-Pac’s opinion.
He thought the Women’s Title match between Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane was terrific, even though it was placed in a very difficult position on the card. He loves how Baszler has implemented some new things into her style as she’s progressed in NXT. The finish did not surprise him at all, and it also wouldn’t surprise him to see Baszler called up to the main roster at some point.
X-Pac thought Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano had an incredible match, but he can’t help but wonder when the good guy is finally going to come through with the victory in this feud. He notes that the babyface has to win at the end, but he cuts NXT some slack because he knows this match was put together at the last minute, presumably because of the injury to Aleister Black.
Moving onto his thoughts about SummerSlam, X-Pac enjoyed the opening match between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins. He notes that the match really picked up steam in the second half, and since these guys have made a habit of tearing the house down, this match was just okay.
He points out that it’s getting harder and harder to take The New Day seriously, especially since there wasn’t a real grudge between them and Bludgeon Brothers heading into SummerSlam. They’re great entertainers who are in a weird spot right now because he doesn’t know what WWE should do with them moving forward. Perhaps instead of splitting them up a short break is in order for them.
X-Pac notes that at first he didn’t think Braun Strowman made sense as the Money in the Briefcase contract holder, but he has since partially changed his mind. He doesn’t think the briefcase makes Strowman look silly, and he likes how WWE is presenting him as a straight forward challenger for the Universal Title. He notes that Strowman was an intentional distraction during the Universal Title match to ensure the fans wouldn’t hijack the match, and it worked.
X-Pac couldn’t believe that WWE tried to turn Becky Lynch heel at SummerSlam. He doesn’t understand how someone booked that finish with the intention of getting Lynch booed. A heel turn was never going to work there with Lynch in X-Pac’s opinion.
He notes that Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles are great, and every time they lock up they produce great matches. However, he notes that this match should have started much hotter since Joe had said some very personal things about Styles’ family. He doesn’t think this match should have started with a simple lock up.
X-Pac thought the Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar main event was good and he thought it was smart to utilize Strowman in that main event. He goes on to say that he thought Monday Night RAW was excellent this week, noting that the Universal Title match that main-evented the show was terrific, and so was the closing of the show which featured the return of The Shield.
X-Pac welcomes Teddy Hart to the show.
X-Pac says that Teddy is the most athletically gifted performer to come out of the Hart family. That title belonged to Owen before Teddy came along in X-Pac’s opinion. Teddy thanks X-Pac and points out that he learned from some of the greatest performers of all time, including X-Pac.
Hart notes that he’s changed his in-ring style over the years in order to protect his body. He didn’t understand why all the older performers would tell him to slow down when he was younger, but as he continues to get older he can now see the value in protecting his health so that he can continue to work into his 50s and 60s if he chooses to do so.
Hart informs that this is the best shape he’s been in in his life, mentally, physically and emotionally. He notes that while he might be a little bit older than most WWE prospects, he’d like to prove to Triple H and other WWE officials that he’s in a great state of mind after recently being humbled by having to spend a year in jail.
That sums up today’s episode of X-Pac 1, 2, 360. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya next week for another recap!
